Team Aqua's Ace
by RedAuraGuard
Summary: A young Trainer's life is changed forever by Team Magma. He is taken in by Team Aqua, and he strives for vengeance. Who will win the Hoenn Region's greatest conflict? Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1: The Party**_

_**A/N: I'm taking a different approach to the story of the Hoenn Region's conflicting criminal organizations. Read on to see.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"Isaac, come on! It's your birthday; let's join the party!"

"Okay!"

Isaac, the newly-turned 10-year-old, ran towards his house and the sound of his cousin's voice.

"Hey, Jack! What did you get me?" the soon-to-be Trainer asked elatedly.

His cousin chuckled, taking out a Pokeball. "Don't tell your parents, but I got you a really good Pokemon. I even trained it a bit myself, since it was a bit rebellious at first. Now, though, it's really nice. Send it out!"

The young boy nodded, before taking the Pokeball and tossing it up. A bright flash of light emerged, before the Pokemon within was revealed; a Corphish. It looked at the two humans happily.

"I heard you wanted to be a Water-type master, so I took the liberty of getting you a really good one. It's got an ability called Adaptability, which means its Water-type attacks will get even stronger than usual. This one hatched from an egg, so it even knows Dragon Dance! That move boosts its Speed and Attack," he told his younger cousin, who simply stared with glowing eyes. Kneeling down to Corphish, Jack told it, "I want you to go with Isaac here on his journey. Is that all right with you?" The Ruffian Pokemon nodded, before jumping onto its new Trainer's head playfully.

Isaac laughed, before hugging his cousin tightly. "Thanks, Jack! I'll take good care of Corphish!"

Jack laughed, returning the gesture. "No problem, little kiddo. When you get your badges, we'll have a battle. Until then, remember what we taught you and train hard! Now, let's go have some cake!"

"Right!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Sir, we've got confirmation. They're in the house," a man hiding in the bushes spoke into his walkie-talkie.

"Good, you know what to do. While they're all in there, now!"

"Yes, sir!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

As Jack and Isaac were walking down the path to Isaac's house, the older Trainer's phone rang.

"Hmm, who could it be?" he wondered. Looking at the caller ID, he groaned. "Not again!"

"What is it, Jack?" Isaac asked.

He sighed. "I've got some business to take care of. Apparently there's a riot of some sort in Ever Grande City, and I need to deal with it. I'm really sorry…"

The younger boy looked devastated. "Oh, come on! They can't do it themselves for once?!"

"Sorry, little cuz, but I've got to take care of it. You say hi to your parents for me, okay? Again, I'm really sorry. Happy birthday."

Isaac sighed, before giving his cousin one last hug and heading home. "Thanks for the Corphish!"

The older boy chuckled. _'He'll be fine,' _he thought, sending out a Swellow and flying off on it. Little did he know how wrong he would was, that his entire town was in serious danger.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

As he reached the edge of his town, he noticed a red glow coming from the center of his homeland.

"Is it a light show? Nah, it can't be… Wait a moment…" His eyes widened as he sniffed the air. "FIRE?!"

He dashed over to the center of his town, where, to his horror, he saw houses burning to the ground. Isaac winced as he saw one house crash down, possibly with people in it. Looking around, he saw his worst fear come true; his house was burning to the ground.

"No! Mom! Dad!" he yelled as he tried to find a way into the house, but to no avail. He backed away as he heard several massive snaps, before the entire house collapsed. There wasn't even a scream; just the crackling sound of fire and the smashing of wood.

Isaac simply stared in horror, too shocked by what had just happened to even let out a sob. His entire body trembled, and his legs threatened to give way.

"Hey, there's a survivor?"

"I told you there would be some! We've gotta deal with him. No witnesses, remember?"

The boy's head turned towards the voices. Several men stood several yards behind him, wearing strange red-and-black hooded clothing with horns on the hoods. By them stood several Mightyena and Golbat, ready to tear open anything that moved.

"You… you did this?" Isaac stammered.

One of the men smirked. "That's right, kid. Now turn around so we can make this quick."

His emotions finally boiled to the top. "Over my dead body!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, as he tossed up a Pokeball.

It was none other than a Mudkip, a Pokemon that Isaac's father had gotten for him as a playmate. The Mud Fish Pokemon stood firm, prepared to defend its Trainer.

"Golbat, Wing Attack!" The group of Bat Pokemon lunged with glowing wings to strike down its opponent.

"Mudkip, can you aim a Mud Slap really well?" Isaac asked. Mudkip nodded. "All right, then Mud Slap inside its mouth and Tackle the wings!"

The Water-type, using its tail, slapped clumps of mud into the mouth of its flying enemies; choking them and making them stop in midair. The Golbat crumpled to the ground when Mudkip slammed into the wings with its head.

The men blinked, not expecting that as a result. "Well then, all Mightyena! Crunch!" one yelled. The entire pack of Bite Pokemon ran forward with open mouths, aiming to tear the smaller Pokemon to shreds.

"Enough."

Everyone blinked in surprise as they saw the man who spoke the word. He wore black pants and a red-and-black coat, with a strange symbol on it. A Camerupt stood behind him.

"Leave him to me, you incompetent fools," he snarled. The men nodded and backed away, cowed by his terrible presence. Then he looked at Isaac.

"So, you would fight us all?" he wondered. Isaac nodded defiantly. "What a disappointment. You could have gone far in life. Oh well. Camerupt, Eruption!"

Isaac's eyes widened at the tower of lava flying out of the Pokemon's back as it descended towards him and Mudkip. _'It's over,' _he thought miserably, sinking down in terror.

Suddenly, another group of Golbat flew in the way of the attack and formed a glowing green barrier; Protect. The lava flowed harmlessly away from the boy and his Pokemon.

"Damn, they're here. We accomplished most of the mission, anyway. Retreat!" the man in the coat ordered. As if by magic, the others in red streaked off towards the forest and disappeared.

Isaac could hardly believe his luck. Someone, or some group, had come to rescue him. As he tried to stand up, his legs failed him and he fell over again. Mudkip, exhausted from terror, slowly walked over to its Trainer and leaned on his stomach.

"Who's the kid?"

"Dunno, but you think we should rescue him?"

"He could be useful, so sure. Besides, I don't wanna kill him."

He felt strong arms pick him and Mudkip up, and carry him away. Too tired to even let a teardrop fall, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

_**A/N: And that's the first chapter! Hmm, I wonder who could be responsible for the burnings…**_

_**Updates for either story should take place every other day, just so you know.**_

_**Read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Initiation**_

_**A/N: New chapter in one day? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!**_

_**Truth is, I wrote this chapter BEFORE the first one… XD**_

_**Enjoy!**_

The young Trainer stirred as he awoke from his sudden slumber. Looking around, he noticed that he was in a large room, mostly white with some blue around it. A desk and a computer sat next to a wall. A closet stood behind him. In front of him, a TV with a remote was there. "Where am I?" Then he remembered something.

"My Pokemon!" he yelped, searching for his belt. Thankfully, his Pokeballs were still there, and he could see his Pokemon from within. Before he could start dwelling on what had happened when he was last awake, the lone door in the room opened.

"Hello there, you must be the new kid we've heard about!" a girl said cheerfully. Looking at her, he noticed that she had bright red hair, which stuck out in two large bundles behind her. She had blue sweat pants and what looked like a high-cut tank top, along with a short vest. Blue gloves were on her hands, and a blue bandana rested on her head.

"I'm Shelly, one of the admins of Team Aqua," she said, sitting down on the bed next to him.

"Team Aqua?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, we're a secret organization. That's why you've never heard of us," she responded. "We're dedicated to raising the world's ocean levels, and we think you can help us. But before you make up your mind, what's your name?"

"Isaac," he said hesitantly.

"Isaac, huh? Good name! I heard about what happened at your home. I'm really sorry…" she told the boy despondently. He nodded sadly, before bursting into tears in memory of his lost home and family. Shelly looked sorry for him, before taking him into her arms as he sobbed. When he calmed down, she continued.

"The organization that did it was a group of thugs named Team Magma. The people in those red clothes, did you see them?" He nodded. "They're members of that gang. We're dedicated to fighting them and giving Water-type Pokemon more room to live. That doesn't sound so bad, does it?"

Isaac shook his head. "Sounds good to me."

"Exactly! We heard you're a prodigy Water-type Trainer, despite being only ten, so we came to offer you a position in Team Aqua."

The young pre-Trainer nodded, slightly more cheerful. "Yeah, according to some of the retired Trainers, I'm apparently really good with raising Pokemon. My dad… he got me a Mudkip as a friend, since I'm the only child in town and everyone else is busy. He spoke to Professor Birch about it, and he said he'd let me have Mudkip! A school of Feebas drifted by in the river last year, and my uncle taught me to capture Pokemon by lending me a Pokeball and showing me how to battle. Corphish was a secret present for my tenth birthday from my cousin. It's got a rare ability called Adaptability, which raises the power of its Water-type attacks by even more than usual! Corphish even knows Dragon Dance! Still, we couldn't beat Team Magma…"

"That's so cool!" Shelly said enthusiastically. "The Corphish and your other Pokemon, I mean. Really, the only reason you couldn't win is because they ganged up on you with their Pokemon, and they're all way older than you. But we can help you get even stronger, and help you collect all of the badges in Hoenn. You'll even be strong enough to become Champion someday! So what do you say?" she finished, extending a hand.

He shook it enthusiastically. "I can't wait to join!"

"Excellent! I'll go tell our leader! In the meantime, why don't you watch something on the TV? We already healed and fed your Pokemon while you were sleeping."

"Thanks, Shelly!" Isaac thanked her.

She smiled. "No problem. I'll have some food sent over. Be right back!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"What?! You want a KID to join our ranks?! What could have possessed you to make you come to this conclusion?!" Archie yelled at his three Admins.

"Sir, hear me out!" Matt yelped. "We really think he could be useful for our plans! He's only ten, but he could go undercover really well!"

"Yeah! He's that Water-type prodigy we've been hearing about!" Amber said, backing up his colleague. "You've been complaining about how you wanted a secret weapon for the plans! Well, can't he be one?"

"For once, I agree with them," Shelly chimed in. "I saw him take on those Grunts as I was fighting some others, and he was actually doing well for a little guy like him. Several of Magma's Golbat went down because of his Pokemon!"

Archie thought for a moment. He had heard about Isaac; even though he was only ten, he could fend off some of the fiercer wild Pokemon in his town, and even some of Team Magma's Grunts. Could he be useful for Team Aqua's operations? Curiosity got the better of Archie; worst comes to worst, his Sharpedo wouldn't mind an extra snack. "All right, I'll allow it. But he's YOUR responsibility, got it? He'll work his way up to admin, starting from being a grunt, like the others. He better not slack off on his training, or it'll reflect badly on him AND you."

"Yes, sir!" The three Admins were pleased that they had managed to change their leader's mind.

"Speak to the uniforms managers when you leave; have them make a uniform his size. Now get going!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Good news, Isaac! You're in!" Shelly announced as she walked into his room. Looking in, she saw the boy watching a show with his Mudkip, Feebas, and Corphish. A tray held an empty bowl, plate, and cup. Isaac was clearly a fast eater.

"Cool, thanks! So, when do I begin?" he asked.

The Aqua Admin made a motion for him to follow her. "Come with me, and we'll start training."

As the two stepped outside, Isaac saw the other two Admins standing outside. They stepped up.

"So, you've decided to join? Good! I'm Matt, one of the three Aqua Admins!" he boomed, shaking Isaac's hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Amber, and I'm the one who rescued you from those Magma goons."

"Really? You did that? Thank you so much, sir!" Isaac said gratefully, shaking his hand vigorously, before following the three Admins into the training zone.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

When they arrived, the young boy's eyes widened at the size of the training field. Men and women in uniforms were moving about, either training their own bodies or sparring with their Pokemon. The number of people was staggering; he couldn't count them all in a year!

"Everyone, front and center!" Matt bellowed, getting everyone's attention. The Grunts grouped up into an organized formation within seconds, surprising no one but Isaac.

"We have a new recruit today, and he is by far the youngest of all of us! He's not dead weight, though; he's got the guts to take on a whole squad of Magma Grunts!" At this, the Aqua members murmured among themselves, wondering if this was a joke.

"No, it is not a joke!" the Admin announced, having heard some of the comments. "Please give a warm welcome to young Isaac as he gets used to the routines! That is all! Continue your work!"

"Sir, yes sir!" the Grunts all said simultaneously, before resuming their workouts. Amber turned towards Isaac.

"So, you ready to join the big leagues?" he asked. Isaac saluted.

"Sir, yes sir!" he said, trying (and failing) to suppress a smile. The three Aqua Admins laughed.

"All right," Shelly told him. "We're going to have an initiation battle, to see what you've got. You're not expected to win; this is just to assess your skill. Are you ready?"

The young boy nodded. "Whenever you are."

"Good, let's get started!" The other members of Team Aqua, having heard this, looked towards the Admin and the new member standing in front of each other on the field.

"I'll lead. Go, Golbat!" she yelled, throwing a Pokeball and revealing the Bat Pokemon. It flew up silently, ready to fight its opponents.

"Hmm… All right, then. Corphish, let's go!" Isaac said, calling out his Water-type Pokemon. "Dragon Dance!"

Corphish spun around with moving claws in a strange fashion, boosting its Speed and Attack.

"Golbat, Supersonic, then follow up with Wing Attack!" Shelly commanded. Golbat emitted sound waves from its mouth, before lunging at the Ruffian Pokemon.

"Protect, then Harden and one more Dragon Dance!" As Golbat's Supersonic sped towards it, Corphish erected a green barrier of energy that stopped the sound waves. As the barrier dispersed, the Water-type danced in the same fashion one more time, except with a shining shell as well. The Flying-type's Wing Attack seemed to just bounce off. Looking closer, Shelly noticed that Corphish had jumped back slightly with its newfound speed. This, along with the Harden, made it so that the attack did almost nothing. She groaned, knowing that Golbat was finished.

"Corphish, Crabhammer!" the young Trainer called. His loyal Pokemon sped towards its opponent with a glowing claw, crashing down on the Bat Pokemon and knocking it out with a single hit.

In the background, the Grunts cheered, now believing that the young boy had a chance of making it far in the ranks of Team Aqua. He had taken out one of their Admin's three Pokemon! Just who was he?

Shelly grinned; he was clearly far more powerful and smart than she expected. "Well done, but you're not out of the woods yet! Go, Mightyena!" The Bite Pokemon leapt out of its Pokeball with an eerie howl. Corphish shuddered slightly at the Dark-type's intimidating glare, before pointing a claw at it in defiance.

"Mightyena, Thunder Fang!" the Aqua Admin shouted. The Pokemon leapt through the air with crackling fangs, aiming to take a bite of the seafood that was in front of it.

"Corphish, roll underneath it and Vicegrip a leg!" Isaac commanded. His Water-type rolled as Mightyena snapped at it, before grabbing a leg and, with its sheer power, flipped the Dark-type onto its side.

"Great job, Corphish! Finish this with a Crabhammer!" Corphish rose up a glowing claw and smashed it into Mightyena's belly. The Bite Pokemon wheezed, before giving up the fight.

Murmurs rang through the crowd. Even with one of the two Attack boosts gone, Corphish was still able to beat an Admin's Mightyena with two blows?

"You really are a prodigy, Isaac," Shelly complimented him as she recalled her fallen Pokemon. He blushed slightly at the compliment. "But now is when your team goes down! Go, Starmie!" She tossed up her final Pokeball, revealing the Water-and-Psychic type onto the field. It looked at Corphish impassively, ready to fight.

The young Trainer paled slightly at the sight. The members of the Starmie family were notorious for being able to learn many powerful attacks that most Water-types couldn't, one of the most notable being Thunderbolt. How would he do this?

"Starmie, Thunderbolt!" As Isaac expected, the Mysterious Pokemon shot a large blast of electricity at its opponent. Corphish would never survive such an impact. Unless…

"We've gotta try something different! Roll towards Starmie with a Protect!" Isaac said desperately. Not seeing another option, Corphish did as its Trainer commanded; it rolled while having the protective power of Protect around it.

Surprisingly, the barrier held as Corphish advanced on its dual-type foe. The electricity crackled around the barrier, but it held strong even under the assault.

_So he can think on his feet really well, pulling that kind of trick… Not bad, kid, _Shelly thought. When Starmie was in range, Isaac gave one more command.

"Corphish, Night Slash!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Up above, in his office, Archie was watching the battle from one of the security cameras. He dismissed Golbat's defeat as sheer luck, was interested when Mightyena fell, and simply stared as Corphish attempted something new on Starmie. _'He may be useful after all…'_

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Starmie, Rapid Spin to get away, then follow up with Thunderbolt!" Shelly ordered. Her Pokemon followed the instructions perfectly; Starmie used Rapid Spin to deflect the Night Slash, before frying Corphish with the bolts of electricity. The Ruffian Pokemon fell without a sound.

The young boy groaned at the sight of his fallen Pokemon. He recalled it after saying "Thanks for everything." Then he took a moment to think.

_What do I have than can take down this thing? Mudkip has nothing on Starmie, and Feebas will just get fried before it can do anything, except that… RIGHT! THAT'S RIGHT! THAT MOVE! _"Let's go, Feebas!" he shouted, tossing up his second Pokeball. The Fish Pokemon flopped on the ground as it looked for a water source. No one could believe what was going on. Was Corphish his only competent Pokemon?

"Okay…" Shelly said uncertainly. "Starmie, end this quick with Thunderbolt!" Seeming to blink, Starmie leapt into the air and fired more electricity from its body.

_Oh, this will be over quickly, all right. _"Mirror Coat!" The Aqua Admin paled at this command; at double the power, Thunderbolt would surely-

Feebas glowed with clear energy, stopping the Thunderbolt from reaching its body and firing it back at its foe. Starmie, not having the speed to evade it, was struck down instantly from the redoubled power of its own attack.

Upon seeing the Aqua Admin's last Pokemon fall, the room seemed to explode with cheers, the loudest coming from the three Admins. Shelly and Matt in particular looked elated at the young boy's strength and unfailing determination to win.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Interesting…" Archie murmured. "He beat one of my three Admins… I still need Shelly, but perhaps he could be a fourth Admin…" _He might even surpass me… though I'd never tell anyone that._

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Isaac looked confused. "I thought you'd be mad that you lost," he told the female Admin.

She shook her head. "No way, kid! That was amazing! No one's beaten me in ages! How did you get so strong?"

He shrugged. "My cousin, the one who got me Corphish, taught me a lot about battling before I became ten. He visited often, and he's a really powerful Trainer; he has all eight badges from this region and some of the others!"

Matt's booming laughter rang through the training area. "Well, that was amazing! But I think you could become even stronger! Let's begin training! Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Isaac and his Pokemon were panting heavily from their extensive exercises for the day. Mudkip in particular was exhausted; its drive to evolve was so great, it threw itself into its swimming and other physical exertions with vigor the whole time. Though it couldn't outpace the seasoned Pokemon of Team Aqua, it could do pretty well.

Amber walked up to him, not panting nearly as hard as the young boy. "You ready for dinner?"

"Yeah… after I… catch my breath…" he wheezed, almost falling over. When he recovered, he staggered to his feet and followed Amber to the cafeteria.

When they reached the cafeteria, Isaac's eyes widened. He saw massive lines of food, waiting to be consumed by the crowds of Grunts milling about. As they were eating, everyone was talking happily with one another, about one subject or another.

Looking at the young Trainer's face, the Aqua Admin grinned. "Pretty cool, huh? Let's get something to eat. You must be hungry," he commented as he heard Isaac's stomach growl. They both laughed, before setting off towards the line.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

As Isaac lied in bed, he thought about something. Why did Team Magma burn down his hometown? What did his family do to them? Was he destined to join Team Aqua? He turned on his bed, not wanting to think about those thought that night. Tonight marked the day he swore to get vengeance on Team Magma. Tonight, he was a new member of Team Aqua.

_**A/N: Isaac's sworn revenge on the team that took his hometown and family from him. Sure enough, it was Team Magma! (Who guessed that?)**_

_**Nothing much to say, except to read/review my other story, too!**_

_**Read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: Graduation**_

_**A/N: Nothing much. School's over, so maybe more updates. Summer courses and everything.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"Starmie, Thunderbolt!"

"Huntail, Hydro Pump!"

"Relicanth, Head Smash!"

A thirteen-year old Isaac was silent for a moment as he processed these commands. He had grown much over the three years of intensive training he had endured. He wore a black-and-white shirt, with an unbuttoned blue vest on top. Deep blue jeans covered his legs. A blue headband held up some of his messy brown hair. On his hands were black fingerless gloves, with the symbol of Team Aqua on them. His Swampert, Milotic, and Crawdaunt stood ready to counter. They had evolved quickly under their training regime, sharing the same desire for vengeance against Team Magma with Isaac. The Trainer gave his orders.

"Crawdaunt, Dragon Dance! Milotic, Twister for a barrier and Psych Up! Swampert, Rock Slide!"

His Pokemon performed their moves perfectly. The Water-and-Dark type Pokemon waved its claws around quickly for a Dragon Dance, while Milotic obtained a copy of the power as it spun its tail to generate the massive vortex; said Twister redirected the Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt. Swampert's Rock Slide not only struck the two long-range attackers, but also smashed into a speeding Relicanth. Its progress was first slowed, and finally stopped under the onslaught of attacks.

Shelly, Matt, and Amber grinned at their trainee's progress. In just three years, Isaac had already surpassed all three of them together. That didn't mean they could make it easy for him, however.

"Rapid Spin to stop the Twister, then Thunderbolt!" Shelly commanded. Her Starmie leapt into the whirlwind and spun around, canceling the attack. However, before it could charge the sufficient electricity, it was knocked back by a surprise Night Slash from Crawdaunt. The only reason Starmie could stand again was because of the Focus Sash tied to it.

Matt noticed something; only two of Isaac's Pokemon were present. "What the?!"

Looking up, the three Admins saw that Milotic had leapt into the air with the Dragon Dance. Its tail glowed with watery energy; an Aqua Tail. Without further warning, it slammed into a confused Relicanth with the attack, knocking it out.

Before any of the three older Trainers could react, Swampert had charged in with both arms raised, before slamming them into the ground for a massive Earthquake.

_Good thing this arena's designed to withstand these impacts, _Matt thought as he braced himself for the attack. However, while the arena was able to remain firm under the assault, Starmie and Huntail weren't so lucky. They were tossed up by the shockwaves, before colliding into the ground in a dead faint.

Isaac cheered. "Great job, everyone!" His three Pokemon roared in triumph.

The three Aqua Admins had slightly rueful grins as they recalled their fallen Pokemon. Shelly was the first to say something. "Well, looks like you really are our team's ace. Great to know you're on our side."

Isaac blushed slightly. "Thanks, but it was because you guys did train me for three years now."

The two men grinned. "Well, looks like you got manners! Good!" Matt boomed, amazed by Isaac's sheer power.

Amber smiled as well. "Not bad, kid. Say, I think Archie's gonna want to have a word with you." As if on cue, Isaac's phone rang. He picked it up.

"Hello, Isaac speaking. Yes, sir? What is it? Oh, I see. I'll be right there." He hung up. Turning to the three Admins, he said, "Archie wants to see the four of us in his office."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hello there, take a seat," the leader of Team Aqua said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. The four of them took a seat.

"Now, I've been following your progress, Isaac," Archie said. "You've definitely earned your title as Team Aqua's Ace. Said Trainer had a large smile on his face. His three tutors grinned as well, proud of their student's progress.

"Now, I have an assignment for you." Isaac rose an eyebrow, curious.

"Your mission is to take on the Gyms of the Hoenn Region, and eventually the Elite Four and Champion." At this, the young Trainer's eyes grew wide; he had always wanted to take on the Gyms, but he was always told he wasn't ready.

Archie nodded. "After following your progress for the past few years, I feel you're more than ready to take on the Gyms and the outside world. Now, why did I keep you from following this dream of yours before?" He waited, as if expecting an answer. Isaac shrugged.

"I'll tell you why. It's because people in the outside world do not think highly of us. You are among the few who know that our ambitions are benevolent. Most see us as common criminals, or worse, at the same level as Team Magma." At this, the leader of Team Aqua noticed the young Trainer's hands clench slightly. "I know, and it's a sad fact. I wanted you to be ready to take on the outside world. Three years ago, if you had taken on the challenge and it became known you were a member of Team Aqua, you would not have been treated well. Other older Trainers would have picked on you, constantly attacking you and stopping your progress. Now, however, you're more than ready to make our name known through the region."

"There's also another reason why I wanted you to continue training here. It's because you are more than likely to encounter Team Magma on your travels." Isaac sat up even straighter. "Yes, they have recently become more active with their crimes. Targeting water sources, mass arson, and worse. Follow my instructions that I may give during your journey. More importantly, I need you to defeat them on sight and have them arrested, with it known that you support us. This should clear up our name, at least slightly. If you become Champion, then all the better."

"However, it would be foolish for you to venture forth alone, even with your powerful Pokemon. Therefore, I want you to travel with Shelly, Matt, and Amber. That is why I have summoned all four of you here today. Do you all accept?" He knew what the answer would be.

"Yes, sir!" all four Aqua members shouted as they stood up and saluted.

"Very good. Now, Isaac. I had some equipment prepared four your journey. They are all in here," Archie told him as he passed a box down his desk.

Opening it, Isaac's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he saw.

"First off is your Pokedex. It took me a long time to obtain, and even longer to get you registered. Every Trainer who's taking on the Hoenn Gyms needs one. I took the liberty of having it made waterproof, so don't worry about swimming with it. There should be a badge case next to it, along with your ID card inside of the case."

"Secondly is your backpack. You're going to get a lot of items on your journey, so you'll need somewhere to put them. The fabric doesn't tear even with a knife, and it stretches, so don't worry about dropping items. If you need to store items, any PC in a Pokemon Center will transfer items to a League storage site. Just insert your ID into the PC and place the items in the machine's transport system. There are twenty Hyper Potions, six Max Revives and six Full Restores inside the pack."

"Thirdly, there are ten Net Balls in there. I know you plan on being a Water-type master, and I wholeheartedly approve. Those Pokeballs have a much higher rate of capture on Water-type Pokemon. Oh, and they also work just as well on Bug-type Pokemon, if you want to know."

"Fourthly, there's a wallet inside. A credit card which is attached to said wallet via a virtually unbreakable cord is inside, for safety reasons. There is a bank account made for your journey that the card will transfer funds from. Just don't spend recklessly."

"Finally, my personal gift to you. There is an HM for the skill known as Waterfall. As you know, because it is an HM, it can be used as often as possible. Your Pokemon will have the ability to power through even the strongest waterfalls and climb them. It's also a powerful physical attack that can even make enemies flinch at times."

Isaac stared as his generous leader in thankfulness; how could the public think he was a leader of an evil organization? "Thank you so much, sir," he managed to get out.

Archie gave a small, rare smile. "You can thank me by becoming the Champion of the Hoenn Region and proving us innocent." The young Trainer nodded, suddenly confident that accomplish his leader's wishes. Archie had taken him in and given him an amazing life with Team Aqua; had Team Magma had their way, he wouldn't even be alive. How could he disappoint his leader?

"Your ride is in Bunker 5-C. Go forth and show the world the power of Team Aqua!"

"Yes, sir!"

As soon as the door to his office shut, Archie smirked and leaned back in his chair. Following the boy's progress made him sure that accepting him was the right thing to do. _Perhaps awakening the underwater beasts will indeed be easier with him… Maybe even the Prince…_

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Wow, all of this is awesome!" Isaac exclaimed as he continued looking at his Pokedex. It wasn't the standard red color of the normal Pokedex; it was a customized navy blue with a black edging and white patterns on it. The other gifts were safely stowed away in the backpack that was on his back.

Matt grinned. "Looks like we're a traveling pack now, huh? Sounds like fun, huh?"

The young Trainer nodded. "Oh, yeah!"

"Well, we're here," Shelly announced. "Oh yeah, we've got a submarine for this! Let's go!"

"Right!"

Amber followed silently, curious about his leader's actions, even though he wouldn't speak against the gifts or his leader. Even so, this was extremely generous, even if it was an act. Was the Waterfall HM really necessary? All Trainers receive a copy of the HM when they obtain their eighth Gym badge. Also, was giving a bank account for him a smart choice? There were all sorts of money traps in Hoenn, like the Game Corner and the Department Store, just to name a few of the risks. He'd have to see how this played out.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Huh, so this is Lilycove City," Isaac said, looking around the various buildings and the beach where they had been dropped off at. Fortunately, it was early in the morning, so no one was awake to see the spectacle.

Amber blinked. "How'd you know?"

"Well, there are several cities known for their proximity to the sea," he explained. "It can't be Slateport, because there are no ports around here. It can't be Mossdeep, because there's no Gym. So, it has to be Lilycove. Plus, I see the Department Store there." Their conversation was interrupted by a yelling voice.

"Hey, what the hell? Aqua grunts? This is our territory! Let's get them!"

The voice belonged to the leader of a group of several Trainers, all with menacing glares on their faces. Before any of the three older Admins could step up, Isaac called out his Swampert. The Water-type starter came out with a massive roar.

He raised an eyebrow. "So, who's first?"

The leader stepped up, smirking. "This'll be over real fast," he growled, as he tossed up a Pokeball. It opened to reveal a Cacturne.

"Indeed it will," Isaac muttered. Raising his voice, he announced, "Blizzard!" Before the Grass-type could react, it was hit by a freezing blast of air that knocked it unconscious almost instantly and left a pathway of ice on the ground.

The gang backed away, unnerved by the swift defeat of their leader, who recalled his fallen Pokemon. Swampert took one more menacing step forward, before they fled the city.

Suddenly, the four members of Team Aqua heard an uproar of applause. Unsure of what to think, the Trainer and Pokemon simply looked around in confusion.

"Thank you so much for chasing them off!" one couple said gratefully. "They've been harassing this town for ages, and we weren't strong enough to defeat them! Is there anything we can do to thank you?"

"Umm, I don't know. Maybe give us directions to the nearest Gym?"

"Oh, are you starting your conquest of the Gyms?" Looking at Swampert, the lady speaking blinked, confused. "But you're already so strong! How do you not have all eight badges?"

Isaac grinned sheepishly. "I've been training at home a lot. Wanted to get ready for people like them."

"Well, you can borrow my Pelippers," an old man said, tossing up four Pokeballs to reval the four Pelippers. "They could use a flight around, anyway. Also, they all know how to get to the cities with Gyms, so just get one and hang on."

"Thank you, sir," all four Admins said as they boarded the Flying-type Pokemon. Suddenly, one of the Department Store clerks ran up.

"Wait! Take this as a token of our appreciation," he gasped, out of breath from running. He handed a green TM to Isaac.

"Ooh, thanks! What move is it for?"

"Giga Drain. I think it'll be useful for a traveling Trainer like you."

The young Trainer looked at it appreciatively. _Looks like I should get a Lotad after all, _he thought. "Thanks," he replied with a grin on his face. "This could work."

The clerk smiled, before giving a small bow and backing up from the Pelippers. They took off into the morning sky, with the applause of Lilycove City behind them. Stage one of showing Team Aqua's benevolence, complete.

_**A/N: Team Aqua has the support of Lilycove City! What will they do now?**_

_**Anyway, how was this chapter? Good? Bad? Too cliché? **_

_**Read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	4. Hiatus

Hey, guys!

Yeah, don't worry; this won't happen often. However, this story will ACTUALLY be on hiatus for a week or so.

I'm out of ideas for this story (damn writer's block), and I need to brainstorm.

Sorry, everyone!

See ya!


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